1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sealing system for use with a gas laser, which has a laser mirror and a laser tube, wherein the sealing system sealingly couples the laser mirror to the laser tube and more particularly to a hermetic sealing ring formed from a hard metal which is relatively non-deformable by a small compressive force and plated with a thin layer of soft metal which is deformable by the small compressive force in order to provide a hermetic seal without damaging the laser mirror.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,251, teaches Waveguide Gas Laser with High Frequency Transverse Discharge Excitation, issued to Katherine D. Laakman on Sept. 25, 1979, teaches waveguide lasers which are excited by means of a transverse discharge at radio frequencies generally in the vhf-uhf range, i.e., from about 30 MHz to about 3 GHz. These excitation frequencies are sufficiently high to ensure negligible interaction of discharge electrons with the discharge-establishing electrodes, thereby achieving superior discharge properties which result in a laser of improved performance and reduced size and complexity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,565, entitled Soft Metal Seal, issued to Neil C. Lien on Feb. 8, 1983, teaches an improved high pressure sealing system which provides a deformable sealing member between a pair of vacuum system elements. The improved high pressure sealing system includes a channel for allowing fluid to be vented from the space between one of vacuum system elements and a deformable sealing member of the improved high pressure seal on the low pressure side of one of the vacuum system elements in order to prevent the trapping of gasses inside of the improved high pressure seal which can contribute to outgassing at a later time. The venting channel is formed either in the deformable sealing member itself, or in one of the two vacuum system elements in its face adjoining the sealing member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,560, entitled Metal Seal Assembly with Deformable Sealing Ring, issued to Henry O. Tohill on Oct. 12, 1982, teaches a metallic sealing ring assembly which seals an annulus between metallic surface of concentric tubular members. The metallic sealing ring assembly includes a central metallic sealing ring which has flared upper and lower annular flanges at both its inner and outer peripheries. The metallic sealing ring is sandwiched between upper and lower adapter rings which are disposed concentrically therewith and formed with the bevelled annular edges which contact the flared surfaces of the metallic sealing ring flanges at a mating angle of five degrees. The annular flanges, when axially compressed, are deflected radially and they are deformed at their tips and extruded against the surfaces of the members defining the annulus in order to establish metal to a metal seal therewith. The flanges are truncated at their free ends whereby initial engagement of the adapter rings with the metallic sealing ring and annulus defining members is along the annular edges of the flange tips and the compression force is concentrated thereat. Axial loading is applied by holddown screws with tips in camming engagement with a camming surface on the upper adapter ring.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,841, entitled O-ring Sealing Arrangement for Ultra-high Vacuum System, issued to Chang-Kye Kim and Rober Flaherty on Aug. 4, 1981, teaches an all metal seal reusable O-ring sealing arrangement which seals two concentric tubes in an ultra-high vacuum system and all metal seal reusable O-ring sealing arrangement includes an O-ring which is formed from a heat recoverable alloy such as Nitinol and which is concentrically posititioned between protruding sealing rings of the concentric tubes. The O-ring is installed between the concentric tubes while it is in a stressed martensitic state and it is made to undergo a thermally induced transformation from the stressed martensite state to an austenitic state. During the transformation the O-ring expands outwardly and radially inwardly toward a previously sized austensitic configuration thereby sealing against the protruding sealing rings of the concentric tubes.